Personnel File
by amber-chick
Summary: Vance thinks about Gibbs senior field agent, and why Gibbs is so insistent on having him on the team. A short introspection of Dinozzo in Vances POV, inspired by Collateral Damage. Contains one very small non-plotty spoiler for said episode. Oneshot.


_This contains a very mild, non-plotty spoiler for Collateral Damage. I got inspired after watching that episode and just wrote for several hours straight after seeing it! _

_I hope you enjoy, and please review on your way out!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or its characters in any way, shape or form._

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_Vance: We need more McGees then Dinozzos. _

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Gibbs paused just as he was about to leave the office, turning around with his hand still on the doorknob. "You know, you should really look at DiNozzo's file."

"I already have, Gibbs," Vance said dryly.

Gibbs smiled and said humourously, "Yeah, I'm sure you have. Why don't you actually read through it." With that Gibbs walked out the door, letting it close behind him.

Vance sat back down beside his desk, leaning back in his chair in thought. He had read through Gibbs' teams files when it became obvious that he was going to be the Director. Ziva's skills were relatively obvious. He had been impressed with McGee. And he had no idea why Gibbs was so insistent on having DiNozzo on his team.

The man was immature, and obviously didn't think ahead for the future. He had gone to Ohio State on a sports scholarship and studied Phys. Ed, but had never used the degree and from what Vance could tell, had given up on sports altogether. What had been the point of only spending four years on something? He had never been married, preferring one night stands then meaningful relationships. He was a floater, having lived in many cities and worked at several police departments before coming to NCIS, which seemed to break the trend of leaving, something which he didn't really understand. He had honestly been expecting DiNozzo to accept the transfer. He had never stayed in one place more then two years, and now all of a sudden he had been here for seven? The only explanation Vance could think of was that Gibbs wouldn't let him quit. Obviously that didn't quite work out that way.

Vance hesitated, and then swung his chair around, opening his file cabinet in one quick motion. He searched through the files, looking for his biggest mystery since he had become the Director of NCIS – Special Agent Anthony D. DiNozzo, former Homicide Detective. Gibbs obviously saw something in the man, given that he had refused all other Senior Agents except DiNozzo, and had lied and cheated to get him back on the team.

Vance honestly couldn't understand it. Gibbs was a former marine, and ran his team in a tight unit. He had the highest case closure rate at the agency and probably had a whole drawer full of medals – which, judging by the reactions at the last award ceremony, he never collected, just had DiNozzo accept on his behalf.

So why would the one man Gibbs would trust with his life act more like a college frat boy then a federal agent?

Vance span around to his desk as he found what he was looking for. He slowly opened the file, leaving it open at the first page. DiNozzo stared back at him, smiling. The picture had obviously been taken when he had first joined the agency. There weren't as many lines on his face, and his hair was a little longer.

He took note of the age, putting him in his mid-30s. He blinked in surprise when he noticed his birthday. It had been just a month ago, and Vance had been here, but he couldn't remember any fanfare, no special occasions, not even an extra coffee break. Everybody had just treated it like a normal day. Why the heck wouldn't someone so intent on receiving praise and attention not mention a word when it was his birthday? He knew what a big deal Sciuto made about her birthday, and he would have expected them to be in the same boat.

He looked at his education, nodding and rolling his eyes when he saw Ohio State. But his eyes widened in surprise when he saw Rhode Island Military Academy. _Maybe Gibbs did have a fair point, _Vance thought slowly, eyebrows still raised in surprise. DiNozzo being in a Military Academy had to have been the last thing he was expecting. _Looks like he had a better education then I thought. But if he was in a military academy, why the hell would he study Phys. Ed?_

His mouth actually dropped open when he saw that DiNozzo had completed a computer course at a local university. He involuntarily flashed back to something an old friend of his had told him, years ago, _"College ain't everything, Leon." _

At the time he had dismissed him, but now, it seemed like the old friend was right, Vance had only looked at the college but it seemed that that was only one small part of the picture. However, college was still obviously a big part of DiNozzos life. From what he could tell, the only people from his past that DiNozzo still kept in contact were his old frat buddies and cop friends from various precincts.

So what had happened at college?

He turned the page to the Medical section, cursing himself as he did so. Unfortunately, Gibbs was right - he really should have read through all their files thoroughly rather then just skimming. He snorted, he wouldn't be surprised if Gibbs quoted one of his rules at him if he was up here.

He started to skim through the medical jargon, but then stopped, remembering that that was what had gotten him into this mess in the first place.

He read through the whole page silently, and when he finished he sat back slowly, admitting, if only to himself, that he was surprised. So, DiNozzo wasn't a rich playboy that had never known disappointment. Vance couldn't believe he'd made such a huge mistake. He couldn't believe that he honestly didn't know about this.

Thinking about how crushed DiNozzo had to have been when the doctors told him that his knee injury meant that he could never play pro ball. What it must have felt like when his fiancé broke up with him over that fact. And then when he finally found another women he could see spending the rest of his life, he was ordered to lie to her, and she ended up hating him.

And then there were all the near death experiences he'd been through. Vance couldn't believe he didn't know about some of these. He did, of course, know about the bio-terrorism attack executed by Hannah Lowell, but he'd had no idea that DiNozzo had been so close to death because of it. The fact that DiNozzo had survived the pneumonic plague…

And then there were all the time he had been shot in the line of duty. And hardly any of them were when he was trying to save himself, or even trying to save a 'damsel in distress'. They were all him trying to save a teammate or a young child. One had been a young single mother, who had sent a several page long letter raving about him and his bravery.

He slowly turned to the last page of the file, wondering if there were any other surprises to be found. This page was comments made by his supervisors – who, considering Gibbs' hatred of paperwork, mainly consisted of the previous two Directors.

He doubted he would really find out anything more interesting, but then again, DiNozzo did like going against the flow.

Gibbs had trusted DiNozzo to run his entire team, for months while he was in Mexico in no contact whatsoever. And what was even more surprising for Vance, was that Gibbs' trust wasn't even misplaced. Despite the fact that they were dealing with the loss of a lead agent and the integration of a new one and also a new probie, the teams case closure rate never fell.

Gibbs wasn't the one who had the highest rate in the agency. His whole team did. His whole team, which had DiNozzo as a key and very important member.

And then looking at the file, which held not a single formal reprimand, but was filled with commendations for bravery and shortlistings for awards he'd been put up for over the last eight years.

And that the one year Gibbs hadn't received the Meritorious Civilian of the Year award… DiNozzo had. For his_ 'incredible bravery and exemplary actions which led him to save Special Agent LJ Gibbs and civilian student Madeline Tyler from certain death.' _

And then just when he thought things couldn't get more surprising. DiNozzo had been offered the lead agent position in Rota, Spain. And he'd turned it down. It was a position that most NCIS agents would die and/or kill for. With hot babes, and his fluency in Spanish (two foreign languages, now that was another surprise), Vance honestly would have thought that DiNozzo would jump at the chance.

The file gave him no clue why he didn't. The only thing the late Director Shepard had written was: _Special Agent DiNozzo has declined the Rota position at this time, and has decided to remain the Senior Field Agent on the Major Crimes Response Team at the Navy Yard. _

He had stayed. He had been four years over his quota and just demoted to boot. But he had decided to stay in Washington. He had given up a dream assignment.

_So much for a college kid, _Vance thought wryly, putting the file away. Looks like he had judged the kid too quickly. He looked down at the picture of DiNozzo and Jeanne Benoit, smiling happily, during the La Grennouille assignment. And then another two, with the late Agents Todd and Cassidy. Several of him and the team. Or should he say teams. It didn't escape Vances notice that while the team continually changed, DiNozzo was the only one that had stuck with Gibbs through the long haul.

_Far too quickly. _Damn Gibbs for being right. Although, not about everything. The file barely solved any of the mysteries around Special Agent Anthony D. DiNozzo. It just added them.

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_Alright, now that was my first foray into NCIS world. It wasn't quite as good as I hoped, but I hope everyone liked it. _

_Either way, please review and let me know what you thought! Come on, the buttons even really big now! You can't miss it! :)_


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